The Nightingale
Chapter 81: An ordinary day
Autumn — x493 / October 25
The scheme of military power was easy.
- The king.
- The commander-in-chief of the kingdom.
- The six main commanders of the kingdom.
- The generals.
- The captains.
- The soldiers.
They all answer to Ichigo and Ichigo only answers to the king or in his absence, to Kaien.
And as Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom, Ichigo was, in every way, the second most powerful man in the kingdom.
Kaien would be the face of the kingdom, the father of the future king and the one who would make the decisions that might or might not affect the lives of many more people than those who lived in the castle. Ichigo was the sword of the kingdom, the one responsible for the kingdom not suffering any attacks and being able to return the offenses in a timely manner.
That was perhaps the mistake within the monarchy that Queen Kazue had not noticed. The lock to keep the second princes alive was the same thing that put the sword in their hand in case one of them coveted what the other had.
If Kaien and Ichigo were allies, if they had the bond of brotherhood that brothers were supposed to have, Avanta would be unstoppable. But Kaien coveted the throne that was almost in his hands and his brother's wife, and Ichigo simply wanted to take back what was his by birth and fulfill the promise he made to his Moon.
Four of the six Kingdom Commanders were meeting with Ichigo at the time: the naval commander, the military commander, the archer commander, and the city guard commander. The Commander of the King's Guard and the Commander of the Queen's Guard had left with the King and Queen for the cabin in the northern mountains a few days ago.
Ichigo had summoned them as soon as he knew they were all in the castle, it was hard to get all the Commanders to meet in the same place at the same time and he had to take advantage of the opportunity that had arisen thanks to the Celebrations of Souls.
The last time Ichigo had seen them all together was on his wedding day and although he had spoken with them individually during the tour of the thirteen cities of the kingdom when he met one of them in a city, a group meeting was always good.
At the end of that meeting, which began with issues concerning the kingdom and was diverted to other issues that were not entirely related to security, all commanders returned to their quarters in one of the buildings specially designated for them and their companions within the castle grounds.
— Why do we keep calling it castle? This looks like a city. — Ichigo muttered as he leaned his back against the back of his chair to get some rest.
Adelaar Palace sounded better… and Imperial Capital sounded much better.
It wasn't the first time that Ichigo had dreamed of an empire but he knew that, although it wasn't impossible to achieve, it would be difficult because he first had to secure his own throne in Adelaar before starting to conquer the other kingdoms. Furthermore, Vayalat would be a tough nut to crack as his grandfather would not hesitate to send the Giftbearing Shadows to put an end to any attempts at conquest.
The only way to unite Vayalat and Jetaiya into an empire would be by peaceful affiliation, but in order to think of those future plans, Ichigo first has to solidify his position as king. Not as the crown prince but as the fucking king of Avanta and the Blue Mountains.
The problem was not killing the king.
Ichigo knew he could send a shadow snake or spider at him, depending on how much he wanted the king to suffer, at any time. Causing an accident or simply poisoning him in the traditional way would not be a problem.
Kaien wasn't a problem because Ichigo was so sure Kaien wanted the throne that investigating the king's death would be the last thing his older brother would suggest.
The nobility, which had begun to be divided on the choice of prince for the crown, would not be a problem. The possible revolts and insurrections due to the death of Kaien, not of King Isshin but of Kaien, would not be a problem either.
The problem was his mother and his sisters. The human and emotional factor.
Ichigo knew he had to be careful because even though he didn't know how good his mother's relationship with the king was, his sisters' relationship with the king was pretty strong. And if there was one thing Ichigo knew he couldn't take, it would be seeing his sisters suspect him and blame him for Isshin's death.
His sisters loved him but they also loved Kaien and the king, and to underestimate the mind of that pair of girls, who had threatened to fleece Kholtan if he didn't let them have a tea party with Rukia, was committing suicide.
The pain of loss could make his sisters turn against him and that could be taken advantage of by someone else. Kaien's supporters could be a problem.
Ichigo didn't care what the common people might think of whoever occupies the throne, he cared what his sisters and his mother might think of him, and he had to foresee all the possible scenarios that would unfold after he did what he had to do.
— It must be while the girl twins are in Vayalat, there is no other way. — Ichigo muttered to himself.
All fires start with a spark and he didn't want to be the cause of his own burns.
The idea of creating a bit of discontent between Kaien and the king came to his mind as a very favorable possibility for him, since Kaien was next in line to the throne and the one who benefited most from Isshin's death.
Killing the king and blaming Kaien was also a good idea, so he would get rid of both of them and no one could question his claim to the throne, plus Kaien's children could not inherit anything because they would be declared children of a regicide and he would avoid having to kill them unless they became a real danger.
Infanticide didn't appeal to him, but surely he would if he had no other options.
As Ichigo thought of a way to create disagreement between Kaien and the king, one of Kaien's servants appeared before him and informed him that the Council meeting had been postponed for a couple of hours.
That was not good because there was little time left for the meeting to start and surely all the Councilors must be arriving at the castle. Ichigo needed a reason for the king to be angry with Kaien but the suspension of the meeting was too opportune and what was opportune sometimes wasn't as good as it seemed.
— The Councilors who have arrived, have they already been informed?
— Yes, your Highness. Princess Rukia has arranged for them to be moved to an entertainment room within one of the castle's common buildings and she has ordered that they be served snacks and wine on demand until a new meeting time is designated.
Ichigo smiled at those words.
His Moon was doing a great job as the highest ranking woman in the castle and possibly the Kahya should be advising her and that reassured him.
Rukia would be the queen and she had to start getting familiar with those kinds of things that didn't seem so relevant but would definitely get people talking.
His queen.
Every time Ichigo thought about that, he couldn't help but fantasize about Rukia sitting on the throne with the war crown on her head.
The servant left the office and Ichigo sat in his chair for a moment longer, the urgency to get to the meeting had been eliminated and he just had to wait until the new scheduled time arrived. Kaien was displaying his power as the protector of the kingdom and if he wanted to postpone the meeting until evening, he could.
Before he could leave his office, Renji walked up to him and informed him that Rukia had left the castle and headed into town for a last minute meeting with the Festive Events Committee. She was accompanied by a strong escort that included her shadow, two elite soldiers, two archers and several other soldiers who would make sure the place was safe, wherever she was.
All the elements of that escort had been chosen by him and all of them would give their lives for Rukia. The Visnia incident made it very clear that it didn't matter how good the security was if they couldn't foresee the danger, so he decided to give Rukia human shields to protect her life.
Rukia was the reason there was peace in the kingdom.
A short time later, when Ichigo entered the Dome for the day's meeting, he discovered that Kaien was not there and that the Councilors seemed anxious about the meeting being delayed. The Councilors rose, bowed and paid their respects as he took his seat to the right of the main seat.
One of the servants placed a pen, ink, and a leather folder in front of him, and the first thing Ichigo did was look at the contents of the folder. Inside were all the points that should be dealt with in the meeting, written in Kaien's handwriting, and that confused Ichigo because Kaien loved power and wouldn't let a meeting pass where he could clearly demonstrate it.
— Does anyone know why Prince Kaien hasn't arrived? — Ichigo asked curiously after closing the leather folder.
All the Councilors shook their heads and Ichigo immediately sent a soldier to investigate what the hell Kaien was doing to delay his presence so long; he also asked that wine be served for the Councilors and some juice for himself.
Ichigo didn't like the kind of man he was when he was corrupted by alcohol and even though he hadn't reached those levels during that trip with the king, he knew better than to push his own luck. He would eventually taste alcohol again without the fear of being dragged into excess, but it wasn't time yet.
Ichigo started the session because Kaien was letting him lead the meeting by handing him that folder, and they talked about issues that weren't that important but could become a problem if they weren't dealt with in time. The Council meetings were tedious, many times the same topics were discussed, but there should have been because it was the way in which options were weighed to solve the problems that existed at the time.
In the end, it was always the king's word that was carried out.
— The agenda that Prince Kaien left has been fulfilled, is there any other topic that you wish to discuss before we adjourn today's session? — Ichigo asked politely.
One of the councilors asked permission to speak.
— There is, your highness. — The man cleared his throat a bit before speaking, as if the subject was uncomfortable. — Rumors that our princes were locked in the punishment cells have been circulating and are making noise, your highness.
Ichigo wasn't surprised that the topic came up at the Council meeting, nor was he surprised that the Councilor who spoke was one of Kaien's outspoken supporters. He hadn't been to the previous meeting because he was locked in the punishment cell with Kaien, but he had read the written report the scribe had made to find out what issues had been discussed and how they had been handled.
The matter of the confinement of the princes in the cells was one of the points discussed at that meeting and the king had made it clear that the confinement of the princes had been a family matter. The action taken by the king was certainly a scandalous topic, because it had never been seen that the princes were locked in those cells unless it was a terrible crime, so it was only natural that everyone's tongue would loosen up uncontrollably.
— Rumors? What kind of rumors? — Byakuya asked, picking up his pen to write down what the Councilor was about to say. Ichigo admitted that even though Byakuya wasn't happy with his position as Peace Councilor, he was doing his job well. — I need to know them.
The Councilman was completely confident in what he was going to say. Ichigo didn't know what kind of promise Kaien bought the Councilman with, as the man had started supporting Kaien directly so his claim to the throne wouldn't be questioned, but it must be a very good one if the man changed his allegiances easily.
— In the taverns they say that His Highness Prince Ichigo committed a murder on the trip and that is why the king locked him up. Also, people are complaining that His Highness Prince Kaien was unfairly imprisoned as there is nothing to prove that he deserves such a punishment.
Ichigo just shook his head slightly and hid a smile.
Kaien's sin was something that shouldn't be talked about for any reason and Ichigo had forgotten that he came covered in blood once during that trip and was seen by several soldiers.
It was evident that the soldiers who said that detail were not his, but the king's. It was also evident that the man was dying of curiosity to know what had caused the king to lock up his two sons for so long.
— They are dangerous and malicious rumors, considering that we are talking about the Commander-in-Chief of the kingdom, the man responsible for the security of the kingdom and his reputation cannot be tarnished in such a way. — Byakuya commented with his usual calm, because one thing was to execute someone for a crime and another was to do it for fun. — Councilman, did your informant tell you who these rumors came from? I would like to meet with him or her.
— My informant? He only heard it in the tavern. — Ichigo noticed that the councilman hesitated for a moment, possibly the man had taken more liberties than necessary when speaking in order to benefit Kaien. — But it was from the mouth of a soldier.
It was natural for soldiers to talk when they were drunk, after all, people loved to talk about what was going on with members of the royal family and if the soldiers had a little information about what was going on in the castle, people wouldn't hesitate to find ways to get it and Ichigo knew it.
That trip had only caused more trouble than it needed to but Ichigo was thankful for some of the results. He would never have made up his mind to kill the king if not for that trip.
— My faithful and brave soldiers. — Ichigo commented calmly before turning his attention to Byakuya. — Councilor Kuchiki, please find out whose tongue is disturbing the peace of the kingdom and pluck it out. If this person or soldier doesn't use it to say nice things, then they don't need it.
Byakuya nodded.
The councilors were surprised by the ease with which Ichigo delivered that sentence and how calmly the Peace Councilor accepted it.
Only the Money Councilor and the War Councilor seemed unsurprised, and Ichigo guessed that they knew the reason behind the punishment. They were the king's friends, so it was normal for them to know such details.
— If you do that, you will only accept that the rumors are true, Your Highness. — The councilman spoke, who seemed determined to hang on to something that would benefit Kaien.
— If the king has decided to punish his own sons, for whatever reasons, it shouldn't be a topic on everyone's lips. What happened is a family matter that was dealt with within the family and was resolved in the same way. Have I been clear enough on this? The councilors, especially those who supported Kaien, nodded silently.
— I will call the regular reporter and an official interview will be given on the facts to silence the rumors that the Councilman is talking about. — Byakuya spoke calmly, closing the folder where he had been writing things down. — We can't let people believe in malicious rumors that affect the image of the royal family. Is it okay for the reporter to come tomorrow, Your Highness?
The speed with which Byakuya came up with that plan of action told Ichigo that Byakuya was aware of the rumors going around town and was just waiting for a time like the meeting to show the plan. It was possible that Byakuya was already investigating the origins of those rumors or had suspects, and that pleased Ichigo.
It was also possible that Byakuya was doing all this to protect Rukia's honor, since she was the wife of the Second Prince and her reputation was obviously linked to her husband's.
— Have him come this afternoon so the interview will be in tomorrow's newspaper. — Byakuya nodded and Ichigo kept talking. — This is the last time this is being talked about and I don't want to hear any more whispers about what happened in the punishment cells or the consequences would be worse. I only cut off tongues but the king cuts off heads, so pray it's not known tongues or heads.
The councilman who had brought the matter up wiped sweat from his brow.
—
— Your Highness, we estimate that this year more people will attend the Celebrations of the Souls and we are not yet sure if the amount allocated by the queen to feed the attendees on the first day will be enough. — One of the three members of the Festival Committee who were in that small office destined for these social matters spoke.
Usually, the Festive Events Committee meetings were held in a room within the castle where all programs and expenses were presented to the queen. The queen did not leave the castle more than to check that everything was well organized or for meetings of an entirely social nature where her presence served to show her support for one or another event or to distract herself a little from all the obligations.
That Rukia had been called for a town meeting was an insult to her status as Princess but at the same time, at the Kahya's suggestion, she decided to show up for that meeting because she was exactly that, the People's Princess.
And the duties of the People's Princess were of a social nature.
The Festive Events Committee would be at her command when the queen deemed it appropriate.
— More funds? How much are we talking about? — Rukia asked kindly.
The funds set aside for the first day's meal are carefully planned and never, to her knowledge, was more money given than intended. In case food was needed, what was in the castle cellar was always kept as a reserve and more was prepared during that day so that all attendees had a portion of food.
During the years of sole management by Queen Masaki, food was rarely lacking.
Giving away food on the first day was a tradition of the royal house that began at the will of Queen Raiza.
— A few coins, your highness.
The woman gave the amount they expected Rukia to authorize and Rukia had to hide the fact that she thought that amount was ridiculously high.
— That's almost half of what was allocated this year for food. — Rukia wrote down in her notebook the name of the organizer and the amount she had ordered. — I don't think the royal house can give that much. There is no record that the population has increased so much that we cannot calculate the amount of materials needed for food.
— It could be less then, your highness, we just need to reduce the portion sizes.
The woman gave a new amount, which compared to the previous one was more reasonable but still high and Rukia just nodded slowly.
The queen had told her that she should be careful with the Festive Events Committee because they would try to get more money and that money would not go precisely for the celebrations.
Apparently that was what the organizer was trying to do at this "emergency" meeting.
— It is still a very high amount. — Rukia noted something else in her notebook. — When the queen left, she was sure that everything related to food and money had already been taken care of.
— They are inconveniences that arise at the moment but that we have time to solve. — The organizer spoke again, whose words were full of security and confidence. — Your highness, you would not have to worry about anything, you would only have to give us the money and we would buy what is necessary.
— It's a very practical idea. — Rukia praised with a kind smile. — But I think it would be more practical if you could give me a list of what you think will be needed so I can assess whether we have what we need in the castle cellars.
The organizer looked uncomfortable and an annoyed expression appeared on her face. The woman didn't expect Rukia to make such an offer and it only made Rukia think that maybe the woman did want to keep the money.
— We've already made the necessary calculations, Your Highness. The amount that we have requested is just what is needed since it is not only the food, but also some other things with reference to the celebrations. — Another organizer of the festive committee insisted.
Rukia wrote down the name of that other woman in her notebook.
— I thought we were just talking about the food on the first day.
Rukia was attentive to everything the women said, and this new addition to her talk to get money was very suspicious.
The Festive Events Committee was made up of at least six people, between men and women, but there were only three of them there, which made Rukia entrench the idea that this meeting was an ambush to try to get money from the royal house by taking advantage of her.
— Perhaps the princess refuses to help because the royal house does not have enough funds. — Commented a third organizer who was with them. The other two fell silent at the audacity of those words. — Rumors say that the second prince spent too much money on the trip with the king and they are still paying the bills.
Rukia didn't expect such comments and her face reflected her surprise for a moment, in the same way that the face of the woman who made those comments revealed that she was celebrating her own words.
For a moment, Rukia felt small and vulnerable.
Her shadow, who was standing by the door in a lookout position, moved to stand behind Rukia causing the women to fall silent at her obvious intimidation. The expression of the girl standing behind Rukia was anything but friendly.
Then Rukia remembered that she was a princess and her word had to be kept one way or another, and it was Ichigo that those women were talking about. The Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom, the most powerful man in the castle at the time.
Rukia was not going to fall for that game where that woman appealed to her pride to get money from her with the excuse of the Celebrations of Souls.
— I wouldn't listen to rumors, my lady. — Rukia's voice had that tone that should have the voice of a princess with power. — Especially if I wasn't there to see it with my own eyes. Repeating what is said, without having evidence of what is really being said, is a crime that for this day I will let pass.
Rukia calmly got up from her seat and Tatsuki walked over to her to pick up the things Rukia had been wearing in that meeting, implying that she was already leaving. The three women, whose tongues seemed to have stuck to their palates after that subtle threat, rose immediately.
Defamation against a member of the royal family was a punishable offense depending on the seriousness of the words said. Defamation against a member of the royal family, said in front of a member of the royal family, would be punished more severely.
— I hope that tomorrow you will send me the list of things that are needed for the meal, because cheating a member of the royal family for your own benefit is also a crime and that, my dear ladies of the Festive Committee, is a crime that is not in my hands to judge.
The organizers bowed to her as per protocol, remembering at that moment that the girl who was there was the People's Princess.
Leaving the room where that meeting had been held, Rukia called out to one of the soldiers accompanying her and gave him the names of the three women.
— Investigate them and their husbands, also summon the other three members of the festival committee for me to meet them privately inside the castle.
— When would you like the meeting, your highness?
— For this afternoon, I want to have tea with them.
The soldier nodded and Rukia got into the carriage to head back to the castle. If those women decided to talk too much, Rukia would rip out their tongues.
—
The soldier who was sent to investigate Kaien's delay entered the Dome before the Councilors rose from their seats. Neither of them moved from their seats and Ichigo waved his hand for the soldier to start talking.
The soldier bowed to Ichigo and said, in a detailed account of why he had taken so long to arrive, that Kaien was ill and that the king's doctor was treating him.
— And what did the doctor say?
— His Highness Prince Kaien has a cold.
— A cold? May the Deities protect the heir! Because if he dies while he's in my care, I'm going to be blamed for it. — Ichigo said that with irony making the Councilors laugh who still didn't accept the fact that Kaien was the heir.
Those who did want Kaien on the throne grimaced with ill-concealed disgust.
Leaving the Dome, after the meeting was officially adjourned, Ichigo calmly made his way to the king's area and took the path to Kaien's private quarters because he had to see with his own eyes that Kaien actually had a cold.
Something told him that Kaien did not have a cold, but was suffering from the effects of the shadow spider.
Rukia was very clever, she knew when the king and queen would leave the castle, so the spider must have received a very specific order about the exact moment to attack and thus not raise suspicions before the king.
Ichigo had spent too much time learning to control that aspect of the gift because giving orders and taming living shadows was difficult, but Rukia made it look so easy it was unbelievable. He was intrigued by the way Rukia could make the shadows obey her to the point of ignoring the one who summoned them, and he couldn't help but think that the true prodigy of the Shadow was Rukia and not him.
The servants at the door to Kaien's room let him in and Ichigo could see that Kaien was lying on his own bed with a wet cloth on his forehead while one of his personal servants was attending to him.
— What's wrong with my brother? — Ichigo asked in a serious tone meant to sound worried.
— Your Highness, Prince Kaien has a fever. He woke up very sick but the king's doctor already treated him and gave him medicine, we only hope that the temperature drops although it seems that the medicine does not work.
Ichigo nodded to what the servant said and then asked to be left alone with his brother. Kaien seemed to be asleep, but as soon as the servant left the room and Ichigo sat on the bed, he opened his eyes.
— I thought you were asleep. — Ichigo commented as he took off the wet cloth and touched Kaien's forehead to check how high the fever was. Kaien's skin was on fire and his cheeks were slightly flushed. — You really have a fever. Have you already made your will? Because I like your horse.
Ichigo said those comments with a dose of teasing and Kaien made a disgusted face. Kaien took the damp cloth from Ichigo's hand and sat up on the bed with such difficulty that Ichigo enjoyed seeing him like that.
Just for that show of weakness, Ichigo wouldn't cut off his brother's hand for touching Rukia.
— You would like nothing more, would you? — Kaien asked before putting the damp cloth back on his forehead and staring at him. — You did it? Did you make me sick?
— Do you see me capable of making someone sick? — Ichigo's question had that dose of humor that masks surprise because he didn't expect Kaien to accuse him of making him sick. — I already told you I don't want the throne. How hard it is to understand?
— It's hard. It's even more so when you're a shadow warlock capable of killing with arts that even I don't understand.
The term "shadow warlock" was something Ichigo hadn't heard of before but it seemed like Kaien knew what he was talking about or at least had a good notion about the gift. It was likely that the king had told Kaien about the gift of war and that was why Kaien had made that accusation.
Ichigo got up from the bed, took the damp cloth from Kaien's forehead, which had already heated up, and wet it again.
— I don't know whether to be flattered or offended by what you've said. — Ichigo tossed the wet cloth to Kaien so he could put it on his own forehead. — I don't know how much the king has told you about this, but I'll assume you know enough to blame me for the fever.
— He has told me enough for me to know that you can create poisonous creatures with that gift of yours. — Kaien commented without taking his eyes off him.
— Yep, I can summon things.
Ichigo snapped his fingers the same way he had been doing during the trip with the king and a huge dog materialized from a shadow in the room.
— What the hell is that?! — Kaien moved enough to try and get away from Ichigo, who sat on the bed again as the dog walked over to his master and Ichigo patted his head.
Ichigo enjoyed the fear in Kaien's voice and eyes.
One of the effects of that trip was that Ichigo had managed to summon and control the hellhounds. Not only was he drinking, he was also learning more about that aspect of the gift.
— This is a hellhound. — Ichigo explained calmly without stopping petting the dog. — I thought the king told you about the gift of war. This is not a poisonous creature, it is a ferocious creature that attacks its target and tears it apart. I can also summon poisonous creatures like spiders, snakes, scorpions and anything you can imagine. I can create them and I can order them when, how and where to attack.
Ichigo snapped his fingers and the dog disappeared the same way it appeared, hiding inside a shadow.
— What the hell are you?
— I'm your brother, what else am I going to be? We were born from different mothers but we are brothers, we even resemble each other. I don't know what a shadow warlock is, what I have is a gift for war and not witchcraft. Leave that to the Jade Sea Witches who make potions and charms and bewitch men to get what they want.
— Now are you going to tell me that there are witches in that place? Witches, warlocks and the Deities know what else!
Ichigo was aware of what he was saying, but Kaien didn't seem to react to the mention of the Jade Witches as he expected. Whether or not Kaien knew about those women or if he knew his own mother's origin was something Ichigo couldn't know at the time.
Kaien was good at hiding his expressions.
— The world is a vast place and of the two of us, I'm the most traveled, so you can believe me when I say there's more out there than just a kingdom.
Ichigo replied with a slight smile, dismissing the matter, and took the damp cloth from Kaien's forehead as he got up from the bed.
— Did you make me sick, little brother? — Kaien asked, this time seriously. — You used any of those creatures to make me sick.
There was a momentary silence between the two where only the sound of water dripping from the wet cloth into the bowl was heard. More than making him sick, Ichigo wanted to see him dead for having taken his throne, his father's affection and for trying to take Rukia from him.
Kaien's existence wouldn't have been a problem for Ichigo if the king had followed the rules that apply to illegitimate children, but the king didn't have the courage to do so and screwed up his and his mother's lives.
Kaien was the only brother that Ichigo had and when he was little he admired him, wanted to be like him and followed him everywhere but the Deities, the Shadow or the Nameless Gods had other plans for them.
— No.
Ichigo handed him the wet cloth and stared at his older brother, no longer smiling and imitating the serious tone with which Kaien asked that question.
— Are you sure? — Kaien's question was loaded with that disbelief that told Ichigo that what he classified as fear could very well have been surprise. — Have you no reason to want me dead, little brother?
Ichigo stared at him at that moment and clenched his fist. Kaien noticed that movement and put his hand under the sheet without taking his eyes off him. If either of them made a wrong move, someone's blood was going to stain the floor.
Ichigo calmed down and controlled all the desire he had to hit Kaien, but he didn't take that angry expression off his face.
— I swear to the Deities that I wanted to look for you when I found out what you said to my wife, I wanted to hit you and cut off your hand just because you had the nerve to touch it, but I didn't.
— Were you afraid that our father would lock you in the punishment cell again? — Kaien asked with a smile that showed how much he was enjoying that confession and how quickly he forgot about the dog.
Ichigo began to suspect that Kaien knew more than he was letting on and that just as he was taking time and checking the effects of the spider, Kaien was also studying him. They were enemies, so all the fraternal approaches masked the true intentions of killing each other.
— I'm not afraid of what the king might do to me, but I didn't hit you because my wife asked me to.
— Did our dear Rukia stop you from hitting me? — Kaien asked maliciously. — I think the proposal I made to her did have an effect on her.
Ichigo held out his hand for Kaien to give him the damp cloth. He knew that Kaien was provoking him but he wasn't going to fall for that game, not while he was checking how immune Kaien was to the gift and what he had to do to drive him crazy.
— My wife, Kaien, my wife. — Ichigo wet the cloth again. — She stopped me from cutting off your hand just because she intends to do it herself. Not just because you touched her, but because you raped Yuki thinking she was Rukia.
— Watch your words, little brother. — Kaien hissed before Ichigo handed him the wet cloth. — Yuki was my lover, I could take her however I wanted. I was just a little rough with her, but the girl made a fucking fuss over it.
— I don't even pretend to talk to you about a subject that the king should have explained very well to you.
— I don't need you to. How I treat my lovers is none of your business.
— It is if your lover is related to my wife! It is if the girl is identical to my wife! — Ichigo stared at him. — I have a certain number of things that I can tolerate Kaien, but if you touch my wife again or try to do anything to her like you did to Yuki, I will kill you.
— Is that woman so important to you? She's just a Kuchiki and I remind you that you didn't even want to marry her.
— Kaien, my wife is the reason you're still alive. She doesn't want a crown, she wants a quiet life and that's what I'm going to give her.
— I don't think that for a woman you give up the fight for the throne. No one gives up a kingdom for a woman!
— Well, you should believe it because it is. — Ichigo paused and took the damp cloth from Kaien's forehead, which had turned hot again. Kaien looked at him in silence waiting for him to keep talking because obviously he wasn't believing him. — By the Deities, Kaien! I wouldn't be here, taking care of you, if I wanted you dead.
— Now that I've seen what you can do, I can't trust you any more than you will ever trust me. We are enemies and you know it.
— That means the king has poisoned you against me. — Ichigo sat on the bed and put the wet cloth on Kaien's forehead after checking if his fever had gone down. — I wanted us to be brothers because I am the commander and I will be until your second son is old enough to take over. I will be the one to lead your armies into battle and, if the Deities allow it, I will be the one to bring you victories so that you can crown your queen. It's a pity that you don't want what I do.
Kaien stared into his eyes, his jaw clenched, holding the damp cloth in one hand. Ichigo got up from the bed and finished that topic. The mood between them fluctuated between aggression and calm at a speed only they could bear.
It was the eternal struggle between affection and hatred between them. They both needed a brother to lean on and they both knew there would never be that kind of bond between them.
— The fever is gone. — Ichigo commented before washing his hands in the water where he had been soaking the cloth Kaien used to lower his fever. — This afternoon a reporter will come to interview us. The rumors that have been circulating are not entirely favorable to me thanks to your councilor feeding them. I ordered the tongue of the person responsible to be ripped out.
Kaien was unfazed by that last sentence but stayed where he was, covered his eyes with the wet cloth and was silent for a moment.
— I told that asshole not to, so say what you want. I will support you.
— Okay, I'll keep you posted on what happens.
Ichigo left the room to go to his own but he thought he heard a slight "thank you" from his brother.
Kaien's fever was high and another person in his place would already have wounds all over the skin from trying to rip it off or would be plunged into delusions of fever, but Kaien was too calm, which meant that Kaien was not completely immune to the gift but quite resistant.
—
The talk with Ichigo had left him thinking for a while after Ichigo had left the room and it wasn't precisely because of seeing how his brother was trying to lower his fever with the wet cloth on his forehead; but because of the ease with which Ichigo summoned those creatures that his father had told him so much about.
His father had told him about the gift of war that Ichigo had inherited from Queen Masaki, but Kaien wasn't prepared to see a demonstration like the one Ichigo put on that day. Queen Masaki had shown him a whip that was incredibly painful and Ichigo had shown him an animal, and according to his father, over the years they become more powerful.
Kaien wasn't sure if his father had told him everything he knew about the gift of war or was keeping details to himself, but at the moment it wasn't relevant because Ichigo had taken it upon himself to give him a lecture that included an unspoken threat.
"You'll go crazy trying to guess when I'm going to try to kill you because you can't even trust your shadow."
And that was certainly terrifying.
Kaien told himself that he should learn the jade language as fast as he could, not only because he wanted to know more about what his mother had been, but because he wanted to know if there was anything in that book that would help him get rid of Ichigo and his strange gift.
Everyone had a weakness and Ichigo must have one.
Hurting Rukia wasn't an option because Ichigo had hit and threatened to kill a king just because that king hit Rukia, so hurting her would only incur Ichigo's anger.
Besides, he didn't want to kill or hurt Rukia, he wanted to take her to bed.
Hi everyone! This author apologizes for the delay but here is the chapter.
The reason why it took me a while to upload the chapter, besides going to a family event, was because the development of the following chapters is linked. In addition, a time skip is coming and I have to leave everything in order.
I think that's all for now.
Greetings to all who write nice comments and those who read in the shadows.
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